Ningxia wineries' reputation for quality grows overseas

Zhang Yanli, owner of Fei Tswei winery introduce products to visitors at the opening ceremony of an exhibition on May 16 in London. In those days, Zhang's Fei Tswei winery in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region was considered to be in an emerging production area, and if "you didn't get the recognition of experts and consumers in traditional wine drinking countries, or even those countries that know wine best, I think it was problematic", she said. More than 220 major wineries produce a total of 130 million bottles of wine each year, and the region's pre-pandemic wine exports reached more than 20 countries and regions, with a total output value of over 26 billion yuan, Regional authorities plan for Ningxia's wineries to cover more than 66,000 hectares by 2025, with annual output of high-quality wine reaching more than 300 million bottles and comprehensive output value hitting 100 billion yuan. At a major international wine and spirits fair in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in May, the latest offerings from Ningxia, including regional winemaker Jiuxi's Yuyue product line, made their presence felt among the 140 exhibitors from 12 countries and regions — including France, Germany and Italy — that showcased their products. "These foreign events are meant to help understand the global wine industry's latest products, on top of understanding cutting-edge trends and new technology," Gong said.